Ryan Bruxvoort will ride his Trek Pilot road bike from Seattle to Jersey City to help take the bite out of poverty.
Bruxvoort, of Highland, leaves Tuesday to join more than 200 cyclists participating in the Christian Reformed Church's Sea to Sea nine-week bike tour, beginning June 28.
"I've always been kind of adventurous," said the 24-year-old, who ran cross country and track while at Trinity Christian College, of Palos Heights, Ill.
The aim of the fundraising tour is for each person to raise $10,000.
"I made the mark in March," said Bruxvoort who is allowed to carry with him gear and supplies no heavier than 60 pounds total. His equipment includes a tent, sleeping bag, cycling clothes and all the essential gear for bike repair.
"I raised money by going to four different churches in the area that asked me to speak there," he said. "My home church sent out letters to family and friends and I was blessed to get larger donations than I expected."
The funds go toward four agencies within the Christian Reformed Church of America, said Bruxvoort, who heard about the tour last July.
The Christian Reformed Church's Web site states funding generated through the tour will be used to support new or ongoing initiatives in three areas of development: business, community and leadership - each one ending the cycle of poverty for individuals, families and communities.
Bruxvoort, a former Times paper carrier, is doing the full nine weeks and will cycle two weeks back home.
Munster residents Dirk Feikema and wife Jill will ride in portions of the trip.
The Feikemas raised more than $5,000, but the minimum requirement was $4,000 for sectional riders.
Feikema plans to take a flight out Wednesday and start riding on June 28 from Denver to Omaha during the first week of the middle segment.
Jill Feikema is taking the second and third week of the middle segment from Omaha to Grand Rapids, Mich., the following week of Aug. 4, he said.
The couple take short rides on weekdays and long rides on Saturdays in preparation, Feikema said.
"I am really excited for the opportunity to do this," Feikema said. "I think it is a perfect blender of doing what I enjoy, which is cycling, and rasing funds for poverty causes, and helping out people.
"It's great that we are riding, but we are participating to raise funds to help people."
Donations on behalf of a cyclist, as a corporate gift or as a general contribution can be made through the Christian Reformed Church's Web site, www.seatosea.org.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 9.8 percent or 7.7 million of the nation's families were in poverty in 2006.
